SPT 565 Final Project: Internationalization in Sport Business

This project analyzes the internationalization strategies of two distinct sports organizations: the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) and the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA). The NWHL's analysis focuses on expanding into the Indian market, examining market factors, target audience, and implementation recommendations to promote women's hockey. The NBBA's analysis concentrates on the Australian market, exploring the unique challenges and opportunities of introducing beep baseball to visually impaired individuals, considering market factors, and providing recommendations. Both analyses include a sports organization overview, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, target nation analysis, and target market factor evaluations, culminating in implementation recommendations for successful international expansion. The project emphasizes cultural communication, media strategies, and the importance of understanding market-specific demographics and competition. The project provides a comprehensive business plan framework for international expansion in the sports industry.

RUNNING HEAD: Internationalization Sport Business
Internationalization Sport Business
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Internationalization Sport Business 1
Contents
National Women’s Hockey League.................................................................................................1
Overview......................................................................................................................................1
Sports Organization Analysis......................................................................................................1
Target Nation Analysis................................................................................................................2
Target Market Factors..................................................................................................................2
Implementation Recommendation...............................................................................................2
National Beep Baseball Association................................................................................................4
Overview......................................................................................................................................4
Sports Organization Analysis......................................................................................................4
Target Nation Analysis................................................................................................................5
Target Market Factor...................................................................................................................5
Implementation Recommendation...............................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

Internationalization Sport Business 2
National Women’s Hockey League
Overview
National Women’s Hockey League is first professional women’s hockey league present in North
America. The organization was introduced in the year 2015 with the Founding Four: Buffalo
Beauts, New York Riveters, Boston Pride and Connecticut Whale. The team Boston Pride
became the first team in the history of NHWL to raise the Isobel Cup in the year 2016. Further,
the mission statement of the sports organization states that help the women hockey players to
come forward in the industry and earn optimum money as well. The Equality, Empowerment and
Inclusiveness for women are the current objectives of the company. The biggest achievement of
the organization is the Isobel Cup that led to popularity and financial changes in the organization.
The goal of global business sports plan is to target the women of country India. As hockey is
national sport of the country so there more chances for the organization to grow in the Indian
International market. The organization earns money-using tickets for championship and
federation as well (NHWL, 2018). The organization has a great scope to succeed in the Indian
market due to large fan base.
Sports Organization Analysis
Strength: The strength of this organization is that it is specially formed to promote the women
hockey player present in the society. Also, this organization promote is a sport that is not
famous in many parts of the world.
Weakness: The company requires strong promotion and advertisement strategies in order to
raise money for the cup and interest of people as well.
Opportunities: ice hockey is field that in known to many people but not played in different
regions. So, diversification of this type of organization will increase the scope of sport as well.
Threats: College hockey association is the biggest threat for the organization and the NWHL
also do not have enough experience as well (NHWL, 2018).
Thus, it can be said that the organization is fully prepared to enter in the market of India because
of its available opportunities and strength to conquer the communities.

Internationalization Sport Business 3
Target Nation Analysis
The Indian economy is very befriending to the sport economy as it promotes different types of
sports in the society. Hockey being the national game of the country will support the
organization in promoting ice hockey as well.
Target Market Factors
The Indian hockey sport market is efficient but not seized as well as. This aspect acts as a
positive as well as negative aspect for the NWHL. However, the sports association have started
increasing the funds in the insignificant sports such as ice-hockey, kabaddi etc. Talking about
political factors, it can be said that major investments are made for cricket in India due to which
the national sport is left behind (NHWL, 2018). Further, it can act as a positive aspect for the
organization it can help the country in concentrating towards hockey as well. People of the
country also pay less attention towards promoting women hockey.
NWHL can offer recognition to the players of the country and it can improve the level of healthy
competition as well. In this way, the country can promote their national sport and excellence
among players as well. Ignorance of the marketing campaign can be the biggest communication
challenge that the association might face in Indian industry. Ice Hockey Association of India
team is the biggest direct competitor of the organization and BCCI (Board of Control for
Cricket) is the biggest indirect competitor. Further, NWHL will target the people between age
group 16-27, male and females who are interested in sports (Fullerton, & Merz, 2008). TV and
brand endorsement are way to advertise the association because the targeted people are active on
these platforms. The organization is different as it organizes Isobel Cup and bestows attractive
rewards to the people as well. Also the tournaments are organized in a professional way. The
pricing strategy should be comparative lower that cricket and other tournaments so as to attract
visitors. It should be around $ 54.10.
Implementation Recommendation
 Cultural communication challenge should be addressed through brand endorsement
strategies.

Internationalization Sport Business 4
 Media plays biggest role in helping prospective people in attaining information about the
tournaments. It will also help the association in attracting prospective players. Like, the
association can offer Indian players to take part in the event and win.
 Goals for gaining market presence should be to develop the interest of people in the ice-
hockey sport.
 Potential profitability should be measured in terms of tickets sold for the tournament.
 Success for the organization would be increasing interest of people in the sport and their
contribution in playing the sport in the ice hockey rink (Shank, & Lyberger, 2014).

Internationalization Sport Business 5
National Beep Baseball Association
Overview
Beep Baseball is a form of baseball that is played by the people who are visually impaired. In
this game, the players use the ball that beeps. The National Beep Baseball Association was
formed in the year 1976 in America to provide pastime baseball services to the legally blind and
low-vision people. The mission of Beep Baseball is to help those people to play games that are
full of zeal and enthusiasm but lacks the capability to play with normal people. The organization
wants to help the people who are disabled in playing baseball. Currently, the sports organization
has a rich history to show it to the world that states that the organization has strong current
presence in external market. The goal of the organization is to create global presence as well as
awareness regarding the recognition of Beep Baseball sport in the environment (NBBA, 2018).
The aim of the global sport business plan is to develop the recognition of this sport in the market.
The organization was developed in the year 1976 and has a strong market presence till now
which shows that the association is capable to expanding in diverse markets. Potential sales can
be judged using the preference of sport in the target nation that is Australia. The potential cost
for bringing this sport organization into the international market would be around $ 20 million.
Sports Organization Analysis
Strength: The biggest strength of this organization that it helps disabled people in playing
sports. Apart from this beep baseball is a less recognized sport that should be recognized by all
people.
Weakness: the biggest weakness of this sport is that there are very few people present in market
who knows about this sport and its proper applicability as well (Lieberman, Linsenbigler &
Stribing, 2015).
Opportunities: Opportunities of this Beep Baseball is that it is a sport that is very useful the
visual impaired people and can help as a therapy as well.
Threats: The threat of this sport is that where it is important to have adequate instructors with
the player all the time otherwise problems can arise.

Internationalization Sport Business 6
Readiness of this sport in the market of Australia is that will help in increasing the interest of
baseball among the visually impaired people.
Target Nation Analysis
The Australian team is recognised as one of the best teams of baseball in the world. The country
has a strong presence in the sports industry but lacks focus on Beep Baseball. Thus, introduction
of this type of sports in the society will increase the baseball fans in the country. The policy in
the country are friendly for the sports associations so the expansion strategies of this association
will also not get negatively affected with the regulations (Taunton, Brian, & Monsma, 2017).
Target Market Factor
The factors that impact the Australian Beep Baseball activities are the interest of people and lack
of human resource in the industry. There are very few number of skilled people present in the
society to take charge of the game and bring it forward in the society. There are as such no
political factors present to barr the growth, instead the regulations support the activities. Further,
interest of people is a cultural factor that the association needs to take care of. As such there are
no direct competitors of the association present. The demographics explain that the association
should target the sports person of different fields, visually impaired people and normal public
(18-45 years) as well. The competitors in the society use print as well as social media to promote
the activities in the market. And the sports organization can differ in the market reaching out to
the right type of people in the society (Stewart, Nicholson, Smith, & Hoye, 2018). The pricing of
the event should be set comparatively low so that people buy tickets and attend the event atleast
for once.
Implementation Recommendation
Cultural challenges in Australia can be properly addressed using the advertisement and
promotion strategies. Social media and word of mouth advertisement techniques should be used
in the society to create market presence. The goals for gaining market presence would be that
the organization want to encourage more and more disabled people in invest their time in playing
sports than sitting idle and encouraging others. The potential profitability at the initial would be
low (Fetchko, Roy, & Clow, 2016). Evaluation strategies for the determining can be looked the
number of participants increasing in the event.

Internationalization Sport Business 7
References
Fetchko, M. J., Roy, D. P., & Clow, K. E. (2016). Sports marketing. UK: Routledge.
Fullerton, S., & Merz, G. R. (2008). The four domains of sports marketing: A conceptual
framework. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 17(2).
Lieberman, L. J., Linsenbigler, K., & Stribing, A. (2015). Camp Abilities After 20 years: Where
We Have Been and Where We Are Going. Retrieved From <
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1096&context=divconf>
NBBA, (2018). About the National Beep Baseball Association. Retrieved from <
https://nbba.org/about/>
NHWL, (2018). About. Retrieved from <https://www.nwhl.zone/about-the-nwhl>
NHWL, (2018). Foundation. Retrieved from <https://www.nwhl.zone/foundation>
NHWL, (2018). Statistics. Retrieved from <https://www.nwhl.zone/stats/league_instance/57888?
subseason=407749&tab=league_instance_player_stats>
Shank, M. D., & Lyberger, M. R. (2014). Sports marketing: A strategic perspective. UK:
Routledge.
Stewart, B., Nicholson, M., Smith, A. C., & Hoye, R. (2018). Sport management: principles and
applications. UK: Routledge.
Taunton, S. A., Brian, A., & Monsma, E. (2017). Developing Intrinsic Motivation Toward Beep
Baseball Through Physical Education. PALAESTRA, 31(4), 21-25.